Weston Way Nursery School

WESTON WAY NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 12 – 13 November 2001

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WESTON WAY NURSERY SCHOOL

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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WESTON WAY NURSERY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Weston Way Nursery School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Weston Way Baldock Hertfordshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs June Smith

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 2 February 1998 Weston Way Nursery School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 6676 Joy Richardson Registered inspector 1166 Rosemary Hussain Lay inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Open Book Inspections 6 East Point High Street Seal Sevenoaks Kent TN15 0EG

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Weston Way Nursery School - 5

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REPORT CONTENTS

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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PART B: COMMENTARY

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 16

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PART B: COMMENTARY

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 17 - 19 Weston Way Nursery School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The nursery has 120 children who attend on either five mornings or five afternoons each week. Each session lasts for two and a half hours. The children meet in groups at the start and end of each session, and outdoor play, in the school's extensive wooded grounds, is part of the daily timetable. All children have an assigned member of staff, either a nursery teacher or a qualified nursery nurse, who is responsible for their care. There are 22 children on the school's register of special educational needs, one of whom has a statement. A small number of children come from an ethnic minority background, but none speaks English as an additional language. Children usually attend the nursery for three terms, from around the age of three and a half, and their attainment on entry is broadly typical for their age. They transfer into the reception classes of local schools in the September or January before they are five.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The nursery, which opened in 1942, draws children from the area of Baldock and many of the town's residents started their education there.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a much-loved nursery school where children thrive. It is highly effective in fostering children's personal and social development and it lays good foundations for learning. The school is well organised, led and managed and the quality of teaching and learning is good. The partnership with parents, as with governors and the wider community, is exceptionally strong and children benefit greatly from this. The school gives very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Children enjoy the nursery and they make great strides in their confidence, independence and social skills. • Many opportunities are provided for children to practise skills and to widen their experience. • The provision for outdoor play is outstanding, fostering imagination and a sense of adventure. • The school is well led and organised, and the staff provide a very high quality of care. • Very good provision is made for children who have special educational needs. • The school works very closely with parents and the community, to the advantage of children.

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What could be improved

• Activities are not always structured to ensure that children can extend their learning. • Children's enjoyment of books, and early skills in reading and writing, are capable of further development. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in February 1998, when the previous headteacher was newly in post. Since then, the school has maintained its distinctive strengths and continued to improve. In particular, the development of shared planning has strengthened teamwork. Closer links have been forged with the playgroups from which children come, with the schools to which they transfer, and with other nursery schools. The school's provision for children with special educational needs has been extended. A start has been made in tracking children's progress over their time in nursery, using information from assessment. Weston Way Nursery School - 7 The headteacher is leading the school forward in its evaluation of what works well and what could be even better.

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STANDARDS

By the time children leave the nursery, they have made significant progress towards the early learning goals for the end of the Foundation Stage*, in each of the six required areas of learning. Children's personal and social skills are very well developed. They relate confidently to adults and to each other, act independently, and behave well within a group. Children's speaking and listening skills are well advanced because these skills are constantly nurtured. Their literacy skills are broadly typical for their age, although many children are capable of making more progress in the early stages of reading and writing.

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STANDARDS

Children reach a good standard in mathematics, counting and using numbers accurately in their activities. Their physical development is good: they handle tools and materials with precision, and move with control and balance. Their knowledge and understanding of the world are well developed because of the wealth of opportunities provided for discussion and exploration. Children's creative development is strong, notably in music and dance.

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STANDARDS

Children with special educational needs achieve very well, in response to the support provided for them.

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STANDARDS

* The Foundation Stage runs from nursery to the end of the reception year.

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CHILDREN’S ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Children love coming to the nursery. They have a strong sense of belonging and participate with enthusiasm.

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CHILDREN’S ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour Children know the routines and take pride in behaving well and reminding others to do so.

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CHILDREN’S ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Children are confident and independent. They share and take turns, co- operate within a group and take the needs of others into account.

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CHILDREN’S ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Attendance is good and children understand that their presence is important and valued within the group.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Sessions seen overall Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Responsibilities are shared equally by members of staff, including nursery teachers and nursery nurses, and teamwork is very strong. As a result, the nurturing of children's personal and social development is consistent and effective. The staff manage children very well, making their expectations clear and maintaining an atmosphere of calm encouragement. They teach the practical skills needed Weston Way Nursery School - 8 for children to develop independence, and they make learning fun. Basic skills such as counting are well taught and reinforced at every opportunity.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Group times at the start and end of sessions introduce children to a wide repertoire of stories, songs and games. Teaching in these sessions is often good and sometimes very good, particularly when the children are actively involved throughout and the level of challenge is adapted for different children. Teaching is generally lively and expressive, capturing children's interest and holding their attention.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Each member of staff supervises an area of activity during the 'free flow' hour in each session when children move around the nursery choosing their own activities. Staff facilitate children's learning, talking with them about what they are doing. However, the planning of these activities, and the guiding of children's learning as they do them, do not take enough account of what children can do and what the next step might be. In particular, skills in reading and writing are not developed progressively and there are too few opportunities for children to pursue activities related to books. This means that older children, and those whose skills were well advanced on entry, do not always achieve as much as they could.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Children with special educational needs are well taught and those with high levels of need benefit from the additional support of learning assistants.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The nursery provides a rich and varied range of learning opportunities, spanning the six areas of learning for this age group. The provision for outdoor play is outstanding, and outings and 'special days' give children a wealth of experience during their time in nursery.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for children with special educational needs Great care is taken in identifying children's needs early, and providing appropriate support, often in advance of securing official funding. The school liaises very well with external agencies. Clear targets are set within individual education plans and children's progress is regularly reviewed.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for children’s personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development The fostering of children's personal development is excellent. The nursery provides a clear framework of values, helping children to be sociable and responsible, to accept and appreciate others, and to take delight in the world around them.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its children Every child is valued and included in all activities. Each individual is known well and there is close liaison with parents and carers at the start and end of each session. Children are well supervised, while independence and adventurousness are encouraged. Weston Way Nursery School - 9

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher leads by example in her teaching and fosters good teamwork among staff and with parents. Her work as special educational needs co-ordinator is very effective.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are highly supportive and strongly committed to the school. They fulfil their responsibilities very well, generously contributing their time and expertise.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The monitoring of teaching and learning is developing and a start has been made in regularly reviewing the performance of staff. The school development plan identifies areas for development. A pilot scheme is in hand to evaluate children's progress over their time in school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The school is well organised and administered and financial planning is efficient and purposeful. The school makes very careful use of its resources to achieve its aims and applies the principles of best value to very good effect.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Children are very happy and become confident and independent. • Children behave well and understand what is expected of them. • They are well prepared for later learning. • The staff are very helpful and approachable. • The opportunities for outdoor play are exceptional. • The school is well led and organised and there are close links with parents. • The teaching is good and there are lots of interesting activities. • The school has a very high reputation locally and children remember their time there with great affection. • No areas for improvement were identified.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Pre-inspection questionnaires were returned for over half the children in the nursery and these expressed almost unanimous satisfaction in all areas. This was reflected in the parents' meeting and in other conversations with parents. The inspectors consider that the nursery's reputation is well deserved and that parents' confidence in the school is fully justified. The lines of communication between staff and parents are strong and this helps to prevent any concerns from developing. There is a strong sense of community and collective pride in the school. Weston Way Nursery School - 10

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Children enjoy the nursery and they make great strides in their confidence,

1. The nursery places great emphasis on children's personal and social development and is highly effective in promoting this area of learning. Staff have a good understanding of children's needs and feelings. They are clear about what they expect and they teach the children the skills they need to make the most of their time in nursery.

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Children enjoy the nursery and they make great strides in their confidence,

2. Staff talk frequently with children, giving them the opportunity to share experiences and to express their ideas. They listen attentively to what children say, encouraging them to explain what they mean and to make links between experiences in and out of school. This was seen when children identified 'night time' objects from a bag and discussed their uses: ‘that's a hot water bottle to keep you warm at night’; ‘that looks like a girly slipper’. Children ask questions avidly and check information against their own ideas, as when one child, surprised by the storyline of 'Peace at Last', interjected ‘but Mummies don't snore’.

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Children enjoy the nursery and they make great strides in their confidence,

3. Children confidently hold their own within a group. Staff are often very skilful in balancing children's eagerness to talk with teaching them self control: ‘Now keep those ideas inside your head’. The 'whispering register', when the children's names are whispered and they have to whisper their reply, increases the children's ability to listen and to control their voice. This contributes to a calm atmosphere in the nursery where everyone can be heard without voices needing to be raised.

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Children enjoy the nursery and they make great strides in their confidence,

4. Children become very self-reliant, for example in dressing to go out to play. They can change into wellington boots, matching the correct feet, put on a coat and, when necessary, a scarf, hat and gloves. They learn to do this through practice and encouragement and take great pride in their resulting independence. The routines of the nursery ensure that children are well trained, for example in recognising their own shoes and putting them away when they take them off. Children take pleasure in showing that they can do, as when they quickly organised themselves and sat down in a circle while a member of staff kept her eyes closed.

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Children enjoy the nursery and they make great strides in their confidence,

5. Children are encouraged to choose activities for themselves during the 'free flow' hour of each session. They tend to start with activities near their home base, but spread out to explore the full range of activities in all areas of the nursery. Staff help them to broaden their choices and to think about what they would like to do. Children are able to become immersed in an activity if they wish, as when one boy played at length in the kitchen area, sorting out the fridge, tidying up, setting the table for four, checking the time on the clock, and discussing recipes when other children joined him: ‘Quickly, let's do the chocolate cake’, ‘Let's do the Chinese’.

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Children enjoy the nursery and they make great strides in their confidence,

6. The children relate easily to each other. Some forge strong friendships, and children readily include each other. For example, they quickly make room for children to join the circle in group time. Staff constantly reinforce the value of each individual, for instance by talking about absent children during registration. Games reinforce children's awareness of each other, as when they curled up with eyes closed as 'hibernating hedgehogs' and then had to work out the identity of a child who had been covered up. Children learn to take turns in activities such as working on the computer: ‘After you it's Weston Way Nursery School - 11 me and after me it's him’. They share, and are able to resolve disputes without adult help, for example when playing with dinosaurs: ‘You've got two, you mustn't have two’. ’You have the little one and I'll have the big one’. They remind each other to ‘take care’. Children often move around the nursery with their friends but they are confident in

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Children enjoy the nursery and they make great strides in their confidence,

making their own decisions: ‘I'm going to play in the sand’…, ‘I'm not, I'm staying here’.

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Children enjoy the nursery and they make great strides in their confidence,

7. Children's experience in the nursery builds their confidence, their independence and their ability to relate well to others. The staff are calm and consistent in the way that they treat children. This gives the children security, helping them to thrive as individuals and to flourish within a group.

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Many opportunities are provided for children to practise skills and to widen their

8. Children participate in many daily activities, and in a range of special events, which foster their physical and practical skills and enlarge their understanding of the world. Staff are committed and enthusiastic in their organisation of these activities and participate themselves with evident enjoyment.

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Many opportunities are provided for children to practise skills and to widen their

9. Themes such as 'night and day' provide a focus for activities and for group sessions across the nursery. During the inspection, activities were leading towards a 'Pyjama Day', when everyone would attend in their nightwear, pretending that day was night. These 'Special Days', which involve the whole nursery community, are eagerly anticipated and long remembered.

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Many opportunities are provided for children to practise skills and to widen their

10. Careful attention is paid to children's physical development, in indoor and outdoor activities. When the weather is wet, children exercise indoors and these activities are lively and fun. On one such occasion, members of staff led all the children through a lively sequence of singing and dancing. Children jumped, hopped and waved energetically, moving in time to the music and singing along with favourites such as 'Bob the Builder'. Most of the children followed instructions well, watching the teacher to mirror her movements, and stopping on command.

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Many opportunities are provided for children to practise skills and to widen their

11. The skills of balancing, jumping and rolling are developed through the use of simple equipment to make an 'obstacle course'. Children enjoy the challenge of perfecting a forward roll and take pride in knowing how to walk along a low narrow beam without wobbling off: ‘Look at my balancing arms!’. They develop manipulative skills through independent and persistent practice, for example in using scissors and glue sticks to cut out shapes and stick them into position. Children show dexterity when tracing letters, applying a bandage to a doll's leg, or threading a necklace.

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Many opportunities are provided for children to practise skills and to widen their

12. Children eagerly explore materials, for example using containers to investigate the 'black water' in the water tray. They observed with fascination as they pushed one container down inside another and made water spill out, and were intrigued as they poured water through a funnel: ‘Look it's going round and round!’. Staff help to develop children's vocabulary, using terms such as 'cylinder' and 'overflowing' in discussing what children are doing. On occasions they extend the challenge of an activity, as when encouraging children to make a tunnel through wet sand.

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Many opportunities are provided for children to practise skills and to widen their

13. Activities are sometimes well linked so that practical tasks lead into imaginative play. For example, in the construction area, children used large wooden blocks to build a bus. They were given maps of Baldock to mark out a route, and carefully drew lines along the roads. They made tickets and presented them as they got onto the bus, negotiating with the bus driver about where they wanted to go. One backseat driver referred to his Weston Way Nursery School - 12 map as he gave his instructions: ‘Up to the roundabout and along and into the car park and you're there’.

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Many opportunities are provided for children to practise skills and to widen their

14. Children develop number skills well, particularly in group sessions. For example, many can count accurately to 20 when finding out how many children are present, and some recognise numbers such as 15. Number skills are often reinforced through games, such as skittles, and children are quick to show numbers such as three or five with their fingers.

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Many opportunities are provided for children to practise skills and to widen their

15. Children become involved in a wide range of creative activities. They sing frequently and enjoy music, for example finding out about and playing a wide range of percussion instruments.

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Many opportunities are provided for children to practise skills and to widen their

16. Photographs of previous nursery activities are diplayed at children's eye level in each home base area. These provide a talking point, extend children's memory of events and reinforce their sense of belonging.

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The provision for outdoor play is outstanding, fostering imagination and a sense of

17. The school's grounds include extensive woodland and open areas, within a secure perimeter fence. Each day, unless it is raining heavily, half an hour is timetabled for outdoor play - a fifth of the total time in each session. The quality of provision for outdoor play is exceptional and this is a major strength of the school.

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The provision for outdoor play is outstanding, fostering imagination and a sense of

18. Children look forward to this part of the day and clearly enjoy it. Many revel in the sense of adventure. This is particularly evident among the older boys, many of whom head straight off into the woods in small groups. They make dens in the undergrowth, encounter dinosaurs or aliens from space, and struggle to overcome dangers and difficulties. ‘It's a magic net…a really strong one…I'm trapped… Help! Help! Help!’ The children become totally absorbed in their play.

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The provision for outdoor play is outstanding, fostering imagination and a sense of

19. Children explore the network of winding paths through the woods, as when a group of girls played follow my leader, collecting leaves on their way and counting the bird boxes on the trees. Children become very alert to the natural world. They recognise seasonal changes, for example as the leaves change colour and carpet the ground in autumn, and conkers fall from the horse chestnut tree.

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The provision for outdoor play is outstanding, fostering imagination and a sense of

20. Children use spades energetically on a patch of bare soil, digging holes and looking out for worms. Others play in the small houses, sweeping them out and re-arranging the furniture. Some steer scooters, tricycles or buggies around the paths, or practise throwing a ball into a basketball net. In summer, many nursery activities take place outdoors, and children also enjoy the use of a shallow paddling pool.

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The provision for outdoor play is outstanding, fostering imagination and a sense of

21. Outdoor play is well supervised. The staff encourage the less confident, for example walking through the woods with them. They give prompts to stimulate play, as when coming across children sitting on a bench: ‘Are you waiting for a bus? Is it stuck in the traffic?’. They ensure that all children are included and able to benefit from the opportunities provided.

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The provision for outdoor play is outstanding, fostering imagination and a sense of

22. Outdoor play contributes strongly to children's social and physical development. It feeds their imagination and deepens their understanding of the natural world.

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The provision for outdoor play is outstanding, fostering imagination and a sense of

The school is well led and organised, and the staff provide a very high quality of care. Weston Way Nursery School - 13 23. The headteacher leads by professional example, teaching a group each morning and demonstrating characteristics of very good teaching and learning in her work with children.

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The provision for outdoor play is outstanding, fostering imagination and a sense of

24. The school has a strong staff team, including qualified and highly experienced nursery nurses who work on an equal basis with the nursery teachers as 'key workers' for groups of children. This means that all the staff are involved in monitoring and recording children's progress and liaising with parents. The staff know all the children and their families well and are caring and considerate in meeting children's needs. They work very effectively together, for example in sharing supervisory duties. The school is well organised, and the secretary plays an important part in this. All the adults involved with the school are committed and hardworking in fulfilling their responsibilities towards children and in supporting each other.

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The provision for outdoor play is outstanding, fostering imagination and a sense of

25. The school's leadership is beginning to monitor the quality of teaching and learning and is developing procedures for performance management, involving all staff. The headteacher has observed the teaching of all the 'key workers' during group sessions, focusing on the management of children's behaviour and providing feedback on this. Although a cycle of review and target setting is not yet complete, a climate of reflection and discussion of what works well and what could be improved is beginning to develop.

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The provision for outdoor play is outstanding, fostering imagination and a sense of

26. The headteacher is developing the use of information from assessment, so that children's attainment on entry is taken into account in planning for progress over their time in nursery. A pilot group is now being tracked using the nursery baseline assessment on entry, and the reception baseline assessment at the time of transfer, to monitor the progress made. There are plans to extend this to provide a clearer view of what children are capable of achieving and of how to bring this about.

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The provision for outdoor play is outstanding, fostering imagination and a sense of

27. Governors play a very full part in the life of the school, lending their expertise and keeping themselves well informed. They take great pride in the school and have a clear sense of direction in planning for its future.

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The provision for outdoor play is outstanding, fostering imagination and a sense of

Very good provision is made for children who have special educational needs.

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The provision for outdoor play is outstanding, fostering imagination and a sense of

28. The school works to include all children, whatever their needs, and to provide well for them. The headteacher, as special educational needs co-ordinator, spends much time liaising with parents and external agencies. The school is intent on ensuring that needs are recognised and identified early, and that appropriate support is provided. Given that children usually spend only three terms in the nursery, this often involves arranging additional support in advance of securing specific funding for this. The school's overall spending on special educational needs exceeds the income received for this purpose.

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The provision for outdoor play is outstanding, fostering imagination and a sense of

29. Currently, seven children have individual education plans. These include well- considered targets, and children's progress is regularly reviewed. Five children receive extra support from a special needs support assistant. These assistants work closely with children and record their progress daily. They work to help children to become more independent, for example in choosing activities, to increase their attention span, or to extend their social skills, as in waiting peacefully for a turn. They ensure that the children are able to take part in all activities along with others.

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The provision for outdoor play is outstanding, fostering imagination and a sense of

30. Staff are very alert to children's needs. They encourage children in the mastery of new skills and take pleasure in hard-won achievements. The headteacher, with the close support of governors, recognises the importance of providing well for children with Weston Way Nursery School - 14 special needs in the early stages of their education, and the school is very successful in doing this.

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The school is highly effective in working with parents and the community to the

31. The school makes very good arrangements for introducing new children to the nursery and works closely with local playgroups. Younger brothers and sisters feel part of the nursery, and know their way around, long before they start, and many nursery events are family affairs.

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The school is highly effective in working with parents and the community to the

32. The school also works with the local receiving schools to ensure a smooth transition. For example, a midday supervisor from the nearest school works regularly in the nursery before children move on so that she becomes a familiar figure.

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The school is highly effective in working with parents and the community to the

33. The start and end of each session are organised to minimise any anxiety for children and to foster good communication with parents and carers. Parents bring children into the reception area. Children are then greeted individually by a member of staff who takes them into their home base. At the end of the session, a member of staff calls each child once their carer has arrived, and passes on any notes or work done by the child, or messages about how they have been getting on. Waiting children remain with another member of staff, talking and looking at books. This system provides security for children and for their parents who have daily contact with staff.

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The school is highly effective in working with parents and the community to the

34. When children leave, parents receive a record of achievement, noting children's progress in each area of learning, and a folder of work showing their development. Recently, consultation meetings between parents and staff have been introduced to discuss children's progress. This initiative has been taken in response to parental views. The school is very open in trying to improve what it does, for example surveying parents when children leave to find what could be done better.

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The school is highly effective in working with parents and the community to the

35. The nursery contributes to, and is very well supported by, the community. During the annual Baldock Festival, it offers a very popular 'teddy bears' picnic' in the grounds for all children to the age of seven. Outings to Whipsnade Zoo, involving 200 people in four coaches, or to the pantomime in Stevenage, are major family events. 'Special Days' in the nursery include a 'Grandparents' Day' which spans the generations. A long- standing governor works very regularly in school, supporting children's work on the computer.

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The school is highly effective in working with parents and the community to the

36. Parents are actively involved in fundraising activities, and some worked alongside staff and governors to repaint the school. Affectionately titled 'The little pink house in the woods' on its new website, produced by a parent, the nursery is much loved by the community and by the generations of children who have passed through its care.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Activities are not always structured to ensure that children can extend their learning.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

37. Group times at the start and end of each session are used to talk about current topics of interest, and for stories, singing, rhymes and games. Children enjoy these times and the quality of teaching and learning is generally good. The two groups assigned to each room usually work together and this is often a sensible and practical arrangement. At times, however, the size of the double group restricts active participation by all the Weston Way Nursery School - 15 children, and questions and explanations by the member of staff are not adapted in the light of individual responses.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

38. Activities in each area of the nursery are well organised. Staff talk with children about what they are doing and help them to be successful. However, the planning does not focus clearly enough on the learning intended from these activities, and how this could be extended for older or more able pupils. Resources are not always selected and set out in ways which prompt children to elaborate their play, or provide a specific challenge for them to pursue. Although some children become very absorbed in activities, others move on quickly. At times they repeat activities without becoming fully engaged or aiming to achieve more.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

39. Children choose their own activities during 'free flow' time and become confident and independent in doing this. However, their choices often follow a predictable pattern, related to gender or to physical proximity. Once a week, each member of staff works with her own group of children, introducing them to a specific activity and this is helpful in extending children's skills. At other times, there is a lack of direction to ensure that children take stock of what they have done or want to do, and that they take on new challenges. This has been recognised in children's use of the computer, and a simple checklist is now in place to monitor children's progress in basic skills. The school also has plans to employ an additional part-time teacher, with a view to providing more directed group work for older and more able children. The new pilot scheme for tracking children's progress over their time in nursery is helping the setting of individual targets,

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

although this is not yet fully reflected in the structuring of activities.

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Children's enjoyment of books, and early skills in reading and writing, are capable of

40. The school has been working to increase its provision for the development of children's literacy and mathematical skills. This is evident in the regular focus on numbers by all staff during group sessions. Children are frequently read stories, and writing activities are provided during 'free flow' times. However, the development of children's literacy skills is not yet being given sufficient emphasis.

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Children's enjoyment of books, and early skills in reading and writing, are capable of

41. Children listen to a story at the end of most, though not all, sessions. They do not regularly have a chance to return to this story, to 'read' it for themselves or to talk about the words and pictures. During 'free flow' time, stories are read to children in the library, often in large groups collected by invitation. Children have few opportunities to enjoy books individually or in small groups during this period. The nursery has several good collections of books but there is a shortage of comfortable areas for reading and of book-related displays and activities. Children are able to borrow books weekly and eagerly do so. They respond with evident enjoyment when stories are read to them, but this delight in books is not capitalised on sufficiently in the nursery's regular activities.

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Children's enjoyment of books, and early skills in reading and writing, are capable of

42. Children are encouraged to write their names and many can do so, in whole or in part. However, they need more help in order to make progress, for example in letter formation and in distinguishing capitals and lower case letters. Children are not supported through displays of letters or names to extend their skills. Written labels around the nursery do not provide a clear model or give children a point of reference for their own attempts. There are not enough games and activities to help children's auditory and visual discrimination in identifying sounds within words and becoming familiar with words and letters. Weston Way Nursery School - 16 43. The provision for literacy is not sufficiently grounded in a clear view of what individual children can do, of the progress to be expected over their time in nursery, and of how to bring this about.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

44. In order to build on its many strengths in securing further improvement, the school should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Ensure that activities are structured purposefully to extend learning for all children by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• focusing more clearly, in the planning of activities, on the progress expected in learning; • giving children specific goals to pursue within their chosen activities; • enriching resources to increase the interest and challenge of familiar activities; • providing more opportunities for children to work with an adult in a small group; • adjusting the balance of free choice and directed activities to ensure progress.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Extend provision to foster children's enjoyment of books and the development of skills in reading and writing by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• increasing opportunities for children to become absorbed in books, and to return to books which have been read to them, during the course of each session; • monitoring children's progress in the early skills of reading and writing so that activities build on what they can do; • enhancing resources and providing more games and activities to reinforce and extend children's knowledge about sounds, letters and words. Weston Way Nursery School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 10

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of sessions observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each session represents more than three percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 60

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals n/a

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 22

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission n/a

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving n/a

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Attendance

School data School data Weston Way Nursery School - 18 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Weston Way Nursery School - 19

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff Financial year 2000-2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 30 £

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7.5 Total expenditure 190,757

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 176 Expenditure per pupil 3,127

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 9,427

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 6 Balance carried forward to next year 20,184

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Weston Way Nursery School - 20 Results of the survey of parents and carers

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Recruitment of teachers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Recruitment of teachers

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Recruitment of teachers

My child is making good progress in school. 72 28 0 0 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Behaviour in the school is good. 75 24 0 0 2

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Recruitment of teachers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 80 20 0 0 0

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Recruitment of teachers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 73 25 1 0 0

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Recruitment of teachers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 90 10 0 0 0

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Recruitment of teachers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 62 33 3 0 3

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Recruitment of teachers

The school works closely with parents. 74 26 0 0 0

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Recruitment of teachers

The school is well led and managed. 85 15 0 0 0

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Recruitment of teachers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 81 19 0 0 0

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Recruitment of teachers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 84 16 0 0 0

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